PRESS DIGEST- Canada - July 29

July 29 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

* Things became chaotic even before a Toronto mayoral election debate began on Monday as Mayor Rob Ford and his team drew police intervention during a dispute with organizers.(bit.ly/1lQP7J6)

* A dispute between Toronto's city council and Ontario's alcohol licensing board has left many new restaurants in the city facing months-long delays in obtaining a liquor licence, which they say may prevent them from opening at all. (bit.ly/1nCc7Ar)

Reports in the business section:

* Ottawa will auction a prime chunk of the public airwaves in March next year, raising at least C$162-million for federal coffers and it hopes to prompt more competition in Canada's mobile phone market. (bit.ly/1l9c8XJ)

NATIONAL POST

* Toronto Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly says it is "not unreasonable" to call on integrity commissioner Janet Leiper to complete an investigation into allegations of misconduct by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Councillor Doug Ford in time for the October provincial election. (bit.ly/1nCtuAW)

* The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Developments wants to operate a shuttle service for employees between its three main buildings, two of which are only a three-minute walk apart. The department outlined the plan for the dedicated shuttle service in a tender posted earlier this month on a government website. (bit.ly/1k5eT1f)

FINANCIAL POST

* Merger and acquisition activity is on the rise globally, and some 40 percent of Canadian firms expect to grow through deals over the next three years, a survey by Grant Thornton LLP said.(bit.ly/1AsCtdh)

* The Canada-based energy firm Athabasca Oil Corp's shares fell more than 7 percent on Monday as the company sought to reassure investors over receipt of a cash payment from Chinese energy giant, PetroChina Co Ltd. (bit.ly/1rMuIwk) (Compiled by Rama Venkat Raman in Bangalore)